Brighter Than Sunshine
by rockstar-101
Summary: James gives up on Lily but Lily doesn't give up on James. Songfic to Brighter Than Sunshine by Aqualung...oneshot pename changed,used to be socal4ever


Disclaimer: I dont own the characters you recgonize or the song.

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The stars shone like diamonds against the pitch-black backdrop of the sky, the moon nowhere in sight. A cool wind rustled through the trees of the forbidden forest and the jet-black hair of the sixth year Gryffindor that stood on the edge of the Astronomy Tower. His eyes followed the invisible wind to the forest watching the leaves rustle and thestral fly above the treetops and dive back down. He wobbled forward but regain his balance but not with out spilling some of the firewhisky out of the bottle that he held in his hand. He took another long swig, looked down at the ground, thinking that it didn't seem so far down, that he could just jump and hit the ground in no time. He groaned, rubbing his head with his free hand before he lay down on the stone ledge, staring up at the stars and the eternal darkness of the sky. His aching mind roamed to the events of earlier that day, remembering that a broken heart had led him here. Her voice echoed in his ears, dripping with hatred and disgust. 'She is so difficult.' He thought angrily, 'I'm not so bad; she had to face it, Snape had it coming.' He took another long swig, 'Anyways you would have thought that by now, his sixth year, he would have learned.' He thought, trying his best to justify his action, 'He called her a mudblood; what is wrong with hog tying him until he apologizes? Tell me'

"Tell me." He yelled into the darkness. He took a long swig from the bottle then threw it across the room, hearing it smash to pieces. He swung his legs around, resting his feet on the floor and his face in his hands, 'Everything is wrong.' He heard her voice, just as if she was standing in front of him, _"James Potter, you ignorant, bulling, bastard of a man."_ Her voice was so harsh that it ripped through his heart like a dagger. James rose to his feet, wobbly rose to his feet, he was not going to do this again; he was not going to let her do this to him again.

_**I never understood before**_

_**I never knew what love was for**_

_**My heart was broke, my head was sore**_

_**What a feeling**_

James was sitting in the back of the library with his seventh year transfiguration books sprawled around him. He was diligently copying down facts for his transfiguration essay, hushed voices fluttered to his ear and he paused, his quill hovering over his parchment, to listen.

"It's James Potter." He heard, James rolled his eyes and went back to his essay, "I didn't know he knew where the library was." He heard again as the girls hurried pass him with their books wrapped in their arms.

"Yeah, he studies now since the end of last year, remember." The other girl said as they sat two tables down.

"Oh yeah; that fight with the Evans girl." James growled, slamming his book shut, earning him a dirty look from the librarian. He grabbed his book and parchment, leaving the other books behind then hurried out of the library-brushing pass an auburn haired girl on his way out.

James stormed through the Gryffindor common room up to his old dorm. He roughly threw his books onto his old bed then kicked his trunk.

"Fuck!" He cried, holding his foot. He sat on his bed, rubbing his foot, 'Why can't I just study in the library without it being a big deal?' James thought. James just laid across his bed when his best mate came in and bouncing on James's bed.

"Prongs, m'boy." He said bouncing next to James, "Want to fill the Slytherin common room with jell-o or dye my brother's hair red and gold?'

"No, I have to finish transfiguration; the library was too crowded." James said pushing Sirius to the floor.

"If you say so." Sirius sang before heading out of the room.

James grabbed his book and essay, heading down to the common room. He took a seat in the corner, away from the first and second years playing wizards chess. James was flipping through the pages of his book, trying to find something he could add to make his essay longer when a shadow was cast across his book. James's heart skipped a beat when his hazel eyes met a pair of emerald ones; he remembered the last time his eyes met those eyes; then they were not the soft emerald they are now but were dark and piercing.

"You left this in the library; I thought you might need it." She said in a hushed voice. James nodded taking the book and turning back to his essay. James watched her walk away out of the corner of his eye, getting that familiar jumping feeling in his stomach.

_**Tied up in ancient history**_

_**I didnt believe in destiny**_

_**I look up you're standing next to me**_

_**What a feeling**_

"Another essay!" Sirius whined. Throwing his books onto one of the sofas in the Gryffindor common room, "That's one for transfiguration, charms, and potions." Sirius counted. Remus shook his head while James snorted.

"I think I'll head up to my dorms. I'll see you guys in the morning." James said grabbing his bag and heading out of the Gryffindor tower.

James said the password to the head's dorm, Lily jumped to her feet when James walked through the portrait hole. James tried his best not to look at her while he walked across the room to the stairs to his room.

"James." Lily said slowly just as his foot stepped on the bottom step. James slowly turned around, trying his best not to give her any emotion, "I was just wondering, since you know we have so many essays and potions seems to be the hardest, if you…know…maybe you want to work on it with me?"

"Sure." James shrugged, continuing up the stairs to his bedroom.

James and Lily were sitting in their common room with their potion books spread out on the table with a couple extra that Lily checked out to help them. They weren't having a conversation, just a couple of sentences passed between them.

"No, you have to stir it counter clockwise." Lily said reading over James's arm.

"Well, I had a fifty-fifty chance." James said scratching out his mistake; Lily chuckled. A few more minutes of silence engulfed them.

"Scoot over James, jeez you're taking over the whole couch." Lily said pushing James with her butt.

"I think its you who is taking over the couch; you and your big butt." James joked and Lily huffed, "You just want to be closer to me." Lily cocked an eyebrow, "I was just kidding." James said throwing his hands up in defense, "I'm done, I think I'll hit the hay." James cleaned up his books and essay, carrying it up to his room.

"Hey James." Lily said hurrying to James's stairs, "Do you think you might want to patrol with me on Wednesdays, that is if you don't have quidditch or anything?"

"Yeah, that be fine, I could use a day off from quidditch." James said, "Good night."

"Night, James."

James and Lily were strolling through the fourth floor corridor; James had his hands in his pockets, his eyes looking anywhere but Lily; Lily had her hands clasped behind her and she walked in a small zig-zag pattern. James waited outside while Lily poked her head inside one of the classrooms.

"You know I really don't care if anyone is using these classrooms; normally I just wander around the castle until I get tired." Lily said after she closed the door to the classroom; James looked up from the floor.

"Me, too." He said.

"I say good for them." Lily laughed and James joined her, remembering the couple of good times he had in an empty classroom, "You know you've been awfully quite this year." James gave her a shrug.

"Just trying to get through my last year." James told her; Lily gave him a skeptical look.

"Did you see how Snape's potion exploded in his face the other day?" Lily asked while they walked up the switching stairs to the eighth floor corridor, "And he's always boasting about how great he is in potions." James laughed with her. James said the password to their dorms, letting Lily in first. James headed straight to his stairs, his feet dragging across the red carpet.

"James," Lily called, "I wanted to tell you I had a good time on patrol with you." Lily walked up to James on his stairs, gave him a hug and sweet smile before heading up her stairs to her room.

"Me too." James said to himself while he trenched up to his room.

_**What a feeling in my soul  
Love burns brighter than sunshine  
Brighter than sunshine  
Let the rain fall, I don't care  
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine  
Suddenly you're mine  
and it's brighter than sunshine**_

James was sitting in his old dorm with his two best mates. James sat at Remus's desk while he lounged on his own bed, they were waiting for Sirius to finish getting ready so they could go to Hogsmeade with the other seventh, sixth and fifth years. It was a perfect day to go to Hogsmeade, the sun was warm but not bearing down on the students.

"Soooo, Prongsie, how is it going with that auburn hair beauty?" Sirius asked after spotting Lily walking up the path in front of them.

"Nothing." James said quietly, his eyes also lingered on that auburn hair but only for a second.

"I noticed on the patrol schedule, you two patrol together on Wednesdays." Remus piped in.

"Yeah it was her idea." James said.

"Have you asked her out yet?" Peter's voice squeaked. James stopped walking.

"No and don't plan on it." James growled, "I'm done with her."

"I thought you said you loved her; you can't just fall out of love." Sirius said.

"Yes, you can and I did." James said walking away, signaling the end of the conversation. James stormed into the Three Broomsticks, walking up to the bar, squeezing between the other students standing at the bar.

"A butterbeer please, Rosemerta." James ordered dropping his coins on the counter.

"Hey James." Lily said over the other loud conversations in the pub. James's stomach turned when he hear her voice, she was the last person he wanted to see right now. James put on a fake smile.

"Hey." James said, "Thanks Rosemerta." James took his drink and turned away from the bar. Lily reached out and grabbed James's hand; Lily blushed when James spun around; she ripped her hand out of his.

"I-I was just wondering if you were here alone?" She asked.

"No, Sirius, Remus and Peter are around here somewhere." James said more rudely then he meant to. He turned away from her once more, pushing through the crowd and out of the pub; his heart racing. James didn't bother looking for Sirius, Remus and Peter; he headed up the main street through Hogsmeade, barely acknowledging the students that called to him as he passed. He walked up the secluded path that leads to the Shrieking Shack. James sat on one of the large boulders that are situated outside the broken fence of the Shrieking Shack; he brought his butterbeer to his lips realizing that it was empty; he sighed as he laid the bottle at this feet. James rubbed his hands over his face and into his hair, 'Why does this have to be so hard?' He thought to himself, 'She hates everything about me. Fate must hate me because she is everywhere I turn.' James heard a crack, his head shot up.

"What are you doing up here?" He asked harshly. Lily looked at him like a dear in the headlights.

"Hogsmeade is too crowded; I didn't think anyone was up here." She said quietly.

"No one is." James said as he got to his feet, "It's all yours." He said as he walked pass her. James didn't turn back for one more glance of her, like Lily whished he would, like he used to do when they passed in the corridors. Lily watched his retreating form until she could no longer strain her eyes to see him.

_**I never saw it happening  
I'd given up and given in  
I just couldn't take the hurt again  
What a feeling**_

Classes were a bore and a regular process, the teachers were predictable and this Monday was no different. By the time dinner came around the seventh years had an essay from each class; each, supposedly, was for preparing them for their N.E.W.T.s at the end of the year. James was quietly enjoying his dinner with his friends when Sirius kicked him under the table; James looked up at Sirius, who nodded to something behind James. James turned around finding the Head Girl behind him, looking a little timid.

"I was wondering if you wanted to work on the Transfiguration essay with me tonight." Lily bit her lip waiting for his answer, thanking the gods that he couldn't feel how sweaty her palms were.

"Uh…yeah. I have practice till eight, is that okay?" James said. She nodded quickly before giving them all a smile and hurrying off. James turned back to his friends; Sirius had a smug look on his face and Remus looked like he was trying his best not to smile like a Cheshire cat; James ignored both of them, focusing his food.

After James's Quidditch practice, James met Lily in the heads common room; she already had her books spread about her, James hurried to his room to get his things. They focused most of their attention on their essay, not concerning themselves with frivolous conversations; James corrected Lily on the animagus process and Lily corrected him on the wand movements for human transfiguration. By working together, James and Lily were able to finish their essay in only an hour. James let out a sigh of relief as he stretched once he finished his essay; Lily watched him out of the corner of her eyes, roaming down his body to the tip of his toes. Lily lounged back, nonchalantly, resting her head on his shoulder. James took a deep breath, his eyes glued to the wall in front of him, fighting the urge to run his hand through her luscious locks and pulling her closer to him. James quickly ducked out from under Lily's head, jumping to his feet causing Lily to fall over.

"I think I'm ready for bed." He said quickly as Lily pushed herself up.

"What is wrong with you?" She yelled as he hurried to his stairs. James stopped dead in his tracks, he turned around to find Lily on her feet, "Why don't you ask me out anymore?" James gaped at her, "Why don't you ask me out anymore? Did I do something?" Lily yelled.

"Did you do something?" James repeated taking a couple of steps towards the couch, "Did _you_ do something?" He added a harsh emphasis on you, "Let me think back to every time I ever asked you out…let me think. If my memory serves correct you yelled at me, similar to the way you are now, you told me repeatedly during those yellings that you would rather date the giant squid and that I should get bent." James said raising his voice to meet her tone, "I bared my heart for you; I laid my feeling on the line only for you to rip my heart out and dance all over my feelings. And now you have the audacity to ask me why I don't ask you out anymore." Lily's eyes were filling with tears, "Do you know how hard it is to suppress feelings that you have had for one person for the pass three years? Finding that as much as you tell yourself that you don't love her anymore, that she means nothing to me, you still find your breath chocking in your throat when you meet her eyes or your stomach doing back flips when she laughs or even speaks to me." Warm tears crawled down Lily's cheek.

"I'm sorry." Lily blurted out, holding back tears, "I was afraid; I was afraid of you. You were so confident, so loving, you're so damn perfect. I wasn't sure I could live up to what you saw in me."

"It was just you I fell in love with, Lily. Nothing more, just you." James said in a softer tone, walking closer to the couch, pressing his legs against the couch, "All I want from you is you to love me for me; nothing more." James climbed over the couch to get to Lily. Lily fell into his arms, tears falling down her cheeks and onto his shoulder; James wrapped his arms around her waist, "Lily, will you go out with me?" James whispered into her ear; Lily gasped. She looked into his hazel eyes and nodded softly.

"I've waited for you to ask me that for the pass two months."

_**I didn't have the strength to fight  
suddenly you seemed so right  
Me and you  
What a feeling**_

The seasons started changing, bringing with it colder and wetter weather. James was wondering the grounds, strolling along the lake, listening to the rumble in distance, looking up at the black clouds that were threatening rain; he zipped up his jacket.

"So this is where you've been." A voice said from behind James while he stood with his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets, looking out at the lake. She slide her arms through his, wrapping her arms around him from behind. James looked over his shoulder. He turned around taking her in his arms.

"How did you find me?" He asked.

"Sirius helped me. He told me exactly where you were." Lily told him, "I have no idea how he knew where you were." James gave her a sly smile. He kissed her lightly. A loud rumble sounded over head before rain began to fall. Lily squealed.

"Oh no its raining." Lily said, taking James hand, trying to pull him towards the castle, "James, let's go." James put his hands on her hips, pulling her back to him.

"Come on Lily. Let's just stay." He said. Their hair was sticking to their faces and their clothes clung to their bodies. Lily began jumping in the puddles; James watched his girlfriend with a lopsided smile on his face. Slowly the rain became slushy, slowly turning into white snow.

"The first snow." Lily said, staring up at the sky; opening her mouth trying to catch the snowflakes. The snow began to fall harder and thicker, building up on the ground around James and Lily's feet.

"We better get inside or we'll get sick." James said. They trudged through the castle leaving behind a trail of water. They went their separate ways once inside the heads dorm, going to change out of their wet clothes. Lily curled up next to James on the couch after they changed; they watched the fire die to a glow before they decided to head up to bed.

_**What a feeling in my soul  
Love burns brighter than sunshine  
It's brighter than sunshine  
Let the rain fall, I don't care  
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine  
Suddenly you're mine**_

The school ended, catapulting the seventh years into their new lives; sending them out into a world on the brink of war. James and Lily took one last look at the Hogwarts express before they stepped through the barrier hand in hand. Lily immediately spotted her mother and sister waiting for her outside the barrier. Lily squeezed James's hand, leading him over to her mother and a very uncomfortable looking Petunia.

"Mum." Lily said affectionately, hugging her mother and completely ignoring her sister.

"Hi, honey." Her mother said, "And this must be James." He mother said smiling at James, "Just as you described, very handsome." Lily blushed and James fought a laugh.

"It very nice to meet you Mrs. Evans." James said, kissing her hand.

"Lily, I'm sorry to rush you dear but we have to get ready for Petunia's fiancée ." Lily stuck her finger down her throat, "James you are welcome any time." Her mother added.

"Thank you Mrs. Evans." James kissed Lily on the cheek and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm staying with Sirius from now on; you can come stay there whenever." He whispered in her ear. He gave her one more kiss before he hurried off to meet Sirius.

Lily and James had the apartment to themselves; Lily was flipping through the channels on the TV while James was taking an extra long time to get a glass of water.

"James, what are you doing in there?" Lily called.

"I'm right here, no need to yell." He said appearing behind the couch; Lily rolled over to look up at him. James leaned over the back of the couch to give her a soft kiss. James fell over the back of the couch onto Lily, smothering her in more kisses, "Will you marry me?" James asked suddenly between his attacks of kisses. Lily stared up at him, wide eyed.

"James, marriage isn't something you just jump into suddenly. We've only been out of school for two months." She said.

"It isn't sudden." James said digging through his pants pocket, pulling out a ring box, "Lily, I loved you then, I love you now and I will love you forever. Will you marry me.?" Lily captured his lips in a passionate kiss.

"Yes, I love you." She said. James slipped the ring onto her finger then his lips collided with hers in a passionate kiss.

_**It's brighter than the sun  
It's brighter than the sun  
It's brighter than the sun, sun, shine.**_

James was standing at the altar with Sirius by his side. The doors opened, the people in the church stood and Lily and Remus started down the aisle. James's stomach flipped flopped like when he was in school. Everyone in the church disappeared, all James noticed was Lily walking down the aisle in her silk white dress. James took Lily's hand and they turned to the Pastor.

"James, I know I wasn't the nicest person to you but I always loved you, no matter what I said. I know we have a lot to face in this new world that surrounds us but I have no fears knowing that I have you. I love you James Potter and it's a dream come true to become your wife." Lily said, slipping on James's ring.

"Lily, I don't know what love is exactly; is it the butterflies in my stomach when you walk in the room or is it the emptiness I feel when I'm not with you; whatever it is I know it is you. I'm glad I have found you and you want to spend the rest of your life with me. Lily, I will love you forever." James said, slipping Lily's ring on her finger.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." James kissed Lily gently while the church erupted in cheers.

_**Love will remain a mystery  
But give me your hand and you will see  
Your heart is keeping time with me**_

Lily was waiting on the couch for James to get home from work; a loud crack sounded behind her before a pair of arms grabbed her around her waist. Lily cried as she was dipped then finding herself looking up at her husband. He brought her back to her feet then pulled her into a long sensual kiss. His lips left hers, traveling her jaw then to her neck, kissing and nibbling all the way.

"Let's go to bed." He said against her neck, Lily shivered. He swept her into his arms to carry to their bedroom. James gently dropped her onto their bed; Lily giggled and James growled seductively. He crawled on the bed with her. He kissed her neck while his hands slipped her shirt over her head. Lily's hands went to the hem of James's shirt, quickly pulling it over his head then her hands darted to his pants. James kissed down Lily's naked body before their bodies become in perfect rhythm. Lily moaned; their pace quickened. Lily called out James's name as he moaned out Lily's.

_**What a feeling in my soul  
Love burns brighter than sunshine  
It's brighter than sunshine  
Let the rain fall, I don't care  
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine  
Suddenly you're mine**_

"Happy Anniversary." Lily breathed as she cuddled up next to James. He kissed her shoulder.

"What do you think?" He asked.

"I think we did it this time." Lily said, lacing her fingers with his.

"I love you."

"I love you, too"

_**I got a feeling in my soul**_

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A/N: I hoped y'all liked it. Don't forget to review.**

**Later.**

**-socal4ever**


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